The hidden cost of cutting gluten
Wheat is the biggest single fibre source in the average Western diet — not because wheat is special, but because bread, cereal and pasta appear at almost every meal. Remove them and fibre intake quietly drops, which is exactly what intake studies of gluten-free diets show. The target doesn't change: around 30g of fibre a day for adults.
What fibre does for a healing gut
For newly diagnosed coeliacs this matters double. Fibre feeds the gut microbiome, which produces short-chain fatty acids that nourish the intestinal lining — the very tissue recovering from gluten damage. Soluble fibres like psyllium and beta-glucans from oats also regulate digestion during the adjustment months.
Closing the gap, meal by meal
- Breakfast: certified gluten-free oats, or toast from a wholegrain or oat loaf (look for 6g+ fibre per 100g).
- Lunch: wholegrain pittas or wraps over white versions — an easy 2–3g gain per meal.
- Dinner: legumes three times a week; lentils and chickpeas are fibre heavyweights.
- Snacks: fruit with skin, nuts, seeds, popcorn.
Increase slowly, drink more
Jumping from 15g to 30g overnight causes bloating. Add one fibre-rich swap every few days and increase water alongside — fibre needs fluid to do its job comfortably.
Read the panel, not the headline
Gluten-free breads vary enormously: some carry 3g of fibre per 100g, the best carry 9g. The wholegrain and oat options at the top of that range turn daily bread back into the fibre delivery system it always was.